Snowball Fight
by wolf's paradise
Summary: Snow is definitely not one of my favorite things, and yet snow has brought me closer to him. I don't like winter, with the exception of Christmas, and yet i found a precious person to spend Christmas with. I love him.


**A/N:** All right. This is my "Christmas" special. Just so everybody knows, I'm actually writing this whole thing Christmas Eve! (Well, almost!) This was inspired by the two days of snow that wonderfully graced the Las Vegas Valley! I had no school because of it, too!

And, in case anybody's wondering, I don't _really_ hate Sasuke, but he's the perfect character to make Naruto the angriest, so I use him for some bad things, like in my story "Forgive and Forget." Also, if you notice that the select few of my stories that are written in first person are better than the ones written in third person, I'm really sorry. First person is my favorite to write in, and I've tried getting back into the swing of things by writing in third person for many of my novel Naruto stories. It's just that first person is my forte.

So, off of that random note, here's my Christmas special. That's late. Dang it!

Snowball Fight

Cold.

That was really the only word I could come up with at the moment. My brain lacked the intelligence needed to come up with other words to describe the weather that I was unwillingly trudging through. Unwillingly, because I was currently lost in a blizzard, and no one knew where I was.

I had only packed two light jackets and a pair of jounin pants, but since when did it _blizzard_ in the fire country? Light snow? Yes. Two to three inches? Sure. But never blizzard.

Since no A, B, or C-ranked missions were usually given out around Christmas, the only missions left were D-ranked. It had been a simple babysitting job, something that required only one person. They had requested me to watch over two small ninja boys near the Kusa and Konoha border. Who would have thought that it would be _snowing_ at the end of _December_.

Granted, snow generally did fall around this time of year, but there had never been heavy snow in Konoha. It generally lasted for about three hours in the morning; by the time the sun came up, the snow had melted. Not that I minded. I wasn't a snow type of person. It was fine for about five minutes, but then it was cold—not to mention wet, and fluffy, and _cold_.

A growl sifted through my vocal cords again. It was just my luck for me, Haruno Sakura, one of the strongest kunoichi in Konoha, to be caught in a blizzard—when they didn't normally happen—when I had been assigned to one of the simplest missions I had completed. Everyone was definitely against me.

I shivered in my jackets. Though they didn't provide me with any warmth, they kept the freezing snow off of my skin. The snow was getting worse, and my jackets were soaked to the core. My body heat was melting the snow; even my hair was wet and stuck to my face. Still, I wasn't sure that my body _was_ giving off heat. I felt like an iceberg had swallowed me whole.

My head tilted to the sky, and I blinked as the flakes of snow stuck to my lashes. I growled angrily. "You just had to snow _today_, didn't you? You just had to snow when Tsunade is the only one who knows where I went, and no one… else… knows…" I finished lamely. I was angry, my eyes were beginning to tear, and I gritted my teeth.

Why was I always crying? Ino never cried. Hinata never cried. Although, she did faint a lot, and I thought that crying was at least a little better than fainting nonstop. But Hinata didn't seem to faint very much these days. And yet for some strange reason, I would always cry.

Maybe that was why Sasuke had never liked me. Maybe that was why Naruto always did things for me. Maybe that was why Tsunade practically killed me before I realized that crying would get me nowhere. Crying, crying, crying. I was such a crybaby. Even at eighteen, I would still cry. I cried when Naruto and I couldn't find Sasuke after he and Naruto had fought a large battle. That time, I had cried for both of my teammates.

A chill sent icy fingers weaving through my clogging veins. My blood was circulating less now, and although that would keep me from completely freezing—mostly—it severely hampered my movement. I was stepping at a slow crawl now, shudders racking my body continuously. Maybe if I thought more, I wouldn't notice winter's growing death grip on my body.

Strangely enough, the first image to occupy my thoughts was Sasuke. I hadn't thought about him much lately. I had gradually stopped thinking about him after that fight between him and Naruto. I had been petrified of that fight, because I had fought in some of it as well. That is, until I was hit with a chidori. I never knew Naruto could get so angry. I had just barely enough chakra to watch the horrific fight.

Naruto. His blood had been everywhere, but he hadn't given up. Each landed a deadly hit on the other, but they both refused to back down and admit defeat. It had finally gotten to a part where Naruto and Sasuke agreed on an impasse. I had seen Naruto flinch when he said that he wouldn't bother with the Uchiha anymore, and I didn't miss the small, painful glance that Naruto shot my way. I could tell Sasuke was glad that Naruto had finally given up, but when Naruto had winced, I still wasn't sure why he had.

Slowly, my former teammate had slipped from my mind. He stopped becoming a goal to work towards. Instead, I saw Naruto as a goal, because of how strong he had become. I wanted to be strong, too, and I thought of how weak I must look compared to my hyper teammate. He was always learning new things, and I felt left behind, like I had when Naruto and Sasuke had fought each other in the days of old.

That silly blonde was now one of the smartest and strongest ninja I knew—when he wanted to be at least. I was slightly happy that he hadn't changed much, and that his hyperactive personality hadn't dimmed. Shikamaru was still the smartest ninja, but he was lazy. I was smart, too, but I definitely wasn't very strong. Naruto was smart when it came to quickly analyzing precarious situations in battle. Occasionally, his anger would get the better of him, but he always managed to keep it at bay.

Strange… how the thought of Naruto was the one thing that kept my legs moving, that kept me from falling to the ground in exhaustion. Not Sasuke, not Tsunade, not my mother, not my father. But Naruto. That shinobi whose heart was too kind to see anyone hurt, or to even kill anyone—even people he loathed. Chouji was the second kindest ninja I knew, but he didn't have the raw power that Naruto possessed.

My muscles didn't move, but I knew that I wanted to smile slightly. That dumb blonde lighted up everybody's day, even if they claimed that he was too energetic to be normal. I could still picture his smile and his body shivering with nervousness as he would ask me on a date.

I suddenly found myself toying with the idea, and I froze in my tracks. No, I wouldn't go on a date with Naruto. He was my friend, my comrade… Friends didn't do that kind of thing. Right?

My quivering legs woke me to the need for movement, and I forced my legs forward. But my thoughts wandered, and though my facial muscles were freezing, I frowned. Did I actually want to go on a date with Naruto? It was a scary thought; I had never even had the slightest interest in Naruto at all, and here I was, floundering through the snow and thinking that I might want to spend a carefree day with him.

Was I getting sick? These thoughts—or at least when Naruto thought them—would make me angry or disgusted, but I felt something warm when I thought of spending time with him, and I felt something very close to acute pain when I thought of him bleeding and helpless—even possibly dying. What was it with me? I _had_ to be sick. There was just no other way that I would think about Naruto this way.

And yet, if I were sick, why did I only feel cold? Why did my fingers tingle at the thought of touching his skin, and my stomach flutter as I thought of his impossibly blue eyes and wild blond hair?

I gasped as my foot caught on a stone hidden beneath the growing fluff of snow. I expected the snow to be cold, but when my face hit the powder, the snow felt oddly comforting. It felt… _warm_. I knew it was a ridiculous thought as I moved my arms to help myself up, but my appendages wouldn't work. They lay beside my face, lifeless as an ice statue. My legs refused to move. I felt the snow gently rest on my wet—and most likely frozen—articles of clothing, but I couldn't conjure the proper feelings of fear at being so close to death. I hadn't even realized that I had obviously been so cold and close to hypothermia.

For some odd reason—the cold was numbing my mind, making it harder to think—I was no longer shivering. I was probably far too cold to feel anything at the moment, and my body was going into temporary shutdown.

The irony of the situation decided to strike me at that moment. Out of all the ways a shinobi could die, I wouldn't even die in battle. I would die simply because of a rare blizzard and lack of adequate clothing. What a way to go. I hated the thought of not even dying honorably, but the cold seeped to my mind and spread through my enervated body. I barely smiled as my eyes closed, too heavy for me to create the energy needed to keep them open.

I wasn't worried about dying. I had always heard that one's life flashes before his eyes before he dies, but it was overrated. A life _did_ appear in front of my eyes, but that life was probably sleeping peacefully in a snug, warm bed. Those sparkling ocean eyes did appear before me, as well as the wild and spiky blond hair and three small whisker marks.

Funny… how I didn't even think of myself. What would he do… if I were gone? I wondered. But I never got far. The thick haze was taking over my body, shutting down more of my organs. My features fell slack, and my mind slipped into unconsciousness.

--

I woke up freezing. Hadn't I been warm last time? Hadn't I also been about to die? I forced my eyes open, and my fuzzy vision caught sight of something beside me. My eyes searched around me in a drunken haze, but I still couldn't focus. I blinked, but it didn't help. So, I turned to the object that was apparently next to me, and although I couldn't see clearly, I recognized the mop of messy blond hair and specs of blue and various lines of tan.

"N… Nar… uto?" I asked hoarsely. As soon as the breath escaped my lips, a bout of shivers convulsed my frame, and I winced in pain.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

I could hear the worry in his voice, but nothing was registering. What was wrong with me? Why was I so cold? I shuddered again, not bothering to process the quick intake of breath to the right of me. I wanted to speak, but my mind was foggy. I just wanted to go back to sleep, hoping that what I was imagining was coming true, or that I actually was searching for a blanket.

But again, I wouldn't be so lucky. I felt like I was back out in the blizzard when my clothes started to freeze and my wet hair whipped in the breezing snow. The colder I had gotten, the less I had felt.

"Do you… have a blanket?" My voice was weak, pale-sounding. I hated it, but I couldn't conjure anything at all. The aching in my joints and muscles had me moving restlessly, and the steaming heat and icy shivers that tingled through my limbs had my body locking down for impact. For what impact, I wasn't sure. I had lost the ability to think clearly.

Rustling next to me caused my head to turn slowly, but I still couldn't see Naruto with much clarity. I was just barely aware of his shaking head.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I don't have any other blankets. I'm normally not that cold, so…" His sentence hung unfinished. I nodded—at least, I thought I did—and turned, only to move at least a hundred more times in the next minute. I heard Naruto curse, but I didn't pay much attention until I felt something moving the covers off of me. I whimpered as the cool air touched my skin, sending me into spasms. Just how cold could this place get?

I felt… heat? My body immediately ached to feel the warmth, but the fever blurred my vision. My eyelids were heavy, and I didn't feel like moving them. I carefully reached out a hand to search for the warmth, but I couldn't find it.

"Sakura-chan… Sakura, take my hand," a soft voice murmured. I couldn't find the strength, so Naruto did it for me. My first reaction was to recoil—his skin was abnormally heated. But I felt that very same warmth drawing me in. I was so cold, and the shivering didn't help whatsoever. With great difficulty, I took my palm and rested it on the warmth of his chest, sighing as the heat coasted to my fingers. It felt very nice. I put my other hand on his chest as well, and weakly tried to scoot closer to him. His body heat was warming the sheets, and I didn't want to be cold.

Again, Naruto did it for me. He shuffled closer to me, and as my arms and other sections of bare skin touched his, a gasp shuddered through my body. His skin was almost too hot! I jerked and recoiled slightly at the fiery warmth, but, just like with my hands, his heat slithered through my skin and into my blood stream. I shivered from the intoxicating warmth, but I could feel my convulsions lessening.

I felt something else coming on, something akin to sleep, and I wanted to thank him before I was insentient. "Naruto…" I whispered. "Th—than—thank y—y—you." My chattering teeth hadn't quite calmed yet, but I was at least happy I could get it out. I placed my forehead on his chest, the heat creating a fever of its own inside my head. Somehow, though, it seemed to clear something because my breathability increased and my body fell limp from relief and exhaustion.

"Your welcome, Sakura-chan," he whispered, the tone of his voice betraying the surprise and confusion he felt. I smiled as I pushed into his heated frame more, sighing as the warmth engulfed me into bliss.

--

Everything ached. My arms ached. My legs ached. My head ached. Even my nose ached. I suddenly found out why when I opened my hazy eyes. I was staring at a wall of tan that gave off a monstrous amount of heat. My nose was pressed into its skin, slanted slightly to the left. I moved my head, my nose immediately feeling relief.

I blinked furiously, my vision soon returning to normal. I withheld a sigh of relief, and gave my surroundings a quick once-over. I was in a single room that was bare with plain white walls. The hospital? No… the bed was different. There was a nightstand that I could barely see over the wall of tan, and there was a door that led into a wood-tiled hallway.

My body suddenly froze. I was… Was I in _Naruto's_ apartment?

"Sakura?"

The soft whisper confirmed my suspicions, but I was surprised at the amount of worry and concern that weighed his voice even in a whisper. Well, at least he was worried about me. That was better than not having anyone worry at all.

But another realization soon sank in. I was in the same bed with Naruto. I had been sleeping with Naruto. _Naruto_ was holding me. My anger spiked. How dare he do this to me! I hadn't even known what was going on—I was still quite disoriented and had no idea how I had even gotten here—and he had me in his bed! _And_ he was holding me! It wasn't exactly inappropriate where his hands were placed, but he was still _holding_ me and _touching_ me.

His warmth against my skin was fueling the flame of my anger, and I was about to move when his heat was suddenly too much. Too much in a bad way. My stomach lurched, lodging in the back of my throat. My mouth went dry, and my brain sent out pulses of alarm throughout my body. I broke from Naruto's embrace easily—easily because he let me—and threw the covers off of our prone forms. Bile rose to my lips, and I crawled over Naruto.

"_Sakura?"_

The concern flitted through one ear and out the other as I set my feet on the solid ground of Naruto's room floor. I realized just how weak my legs were, and my muscles jerked. The floor tilted towards my vision, but a strong, heated arm wrapped around my stomach, giving it the push it needed.

I gasped as I retched, the sound in the back of my throat grating in my ears. Great. I had just thrown up on Naruto's clean carpet right near his bed. I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead, feeling the clammy and overheated skin. Just how sick was I?

My question was soon answered as my stomach prepared to heave again. I could only form one word.

"Bath… room…"

Without a single word, Naruto scooped me up and hurried towards my request. I was set down just in time before another wave of nausea crashed through my system, my stomach reacting in double. I felt a hand grasp at my hair, pulling it away from my face as another hand stroked soothing lines up and down my spine.

Once the urge to vomit retreated enough—after ten, excruciatingly long and embarrassing minutes—I breathed a shaky sigh of exhausted relief. I just wanted to sleep, and I was so tired. I would ask Naruto the important questions later, but sleep was the only thing occupying my mind. I grabbed onto Naruto's shoulder, his height helping to support my jelly-like legs. He aided my trip back to the bedroom, stopping once when I thought the rolls of nausea were coming back.

Carefully, as if I were made of porcelain, Naruto tightened his hold on my shoulders and placed an arm under my knees until I was parallel to the ground. I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth. Naruto paused, his head turning towards me in worry, but it was unneeded. I wasn't about to vomit again, even though it was entirely plausible, but I was surprised at his simple action. Naruto had never carried me before, and I felt my initial anger rising. I had become a jounin a month ago! I didn't need Naruto to _carry_ me. I wasn't weak.

The nausea in my stomach made me realize that my vomiting was somehow intertwined with my anger. My anger didn't cause the nausea, but the frustrated feeling clenching my gut didn't help either. Still, I wanted to be set down. I felt like a small child in his arms—since when was he this big?—and I wanted to care for myself.

"Set me down," I managed to mumble behind my hand. The queasiness in my stomach would not go away until my anger had subsided, and if Naruto didn't put me down soon, I wouldn't care if I were sick. There would be hell to pay.

Naruto hesitated, and I growled to show I was serious. His hands moved faster as I tried to keep the bile from my mouth. Okay, so maybe fast movement wasn't such a good idea. Still, my anger melted as soon as my feet hit the ground. My legs, however, had other ideas. My muscles refused to work, and I collapsed onto the floor as soon as Naruto's arm left me.

I hissed. "Why didn't you catch me?" He _was_ here after all, and standing right next to me, so why hadn't he helped? My anger did nothing to suppress the gag reflex, and that just made me angrier.

When Naruto didn't answer me, I growled. Since when was this loudmouth ever quiet? "Answer me, dammit!" I sucked in breath after breath, trying to drown the urge to lose it right there as my arms supported my upper body.

"I figured that if you realized how sick you are, you'd let me help you," he mumbled quietly.

"You did that on purpose?" Oh, he'd better watch out. My anger level was nothing to take lightly at the moment, and I was almost one hundred percent sure he could sense it. Good. He needed a good dose of fear.

"Well, you just became a jounin a month ago, and I figured that you would want to take care of yourself. You wouldn't want my help. So, I thought that if you realized you aren't well enough to care for yourself, then you would let me help you."

The honesty and care in the words brought my anger up short. How… How well did he know me? Most of my friends, especially the Rookie Nine, knew I had become a jounin in the past month because we all had. It had been the largest number of chuunin to ever pass the jounin exams. And my friends knew about my independence, but not to the point of what Naruto had just said. Did he really know me _that_ well?

_Well, obviously,_ my inner snorted.

His hand touched my back, and my stomach quivered at the touch. My brow knitted in confusion. I couldn't figure out why my hands were suddenly shaking at the thought of this contact, and I quickly whisked it aside when I heard him speak.

"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan, please let me help you."

Oh, god! Why did he have to _beg_? Did he know that I was a sucker for beggars as well? I made a note to myself to never, ever, _ever_ let him beg again. I would buy him all of Ichiraku Ramen if he used that tone on me. Not that I would ever tell him, and not that Teuchi would ever sell his place.

"Fine," I whispered, and there was no anger in my voice. Only calm defeat. I felt a warm arm wrap around my ribcage just below my bust, and another hand rest on my pelvis. Again, I didn't understand the feeling that flared in my stomach, so I went with my default.

"Naruto." My voice was shaking with anger. "Watch where you put your hands."

"But Sakura-chan," he whined, "I need to—"

"Watch. Your. Hands," I seethed.

I heard the audible gulp as he quickly yet carefully hoisted me up, hurriedly placing his hands elsewhere. He couldn't' seem to find a "safe" place to put them, but I was a little too preoccupied with controlling my breathing to notice. This feeling was leaving me breathless, but I shrugged it off as the effects of vomiting.

Naruto helped me onto his bed, and I felt exhaustion come over me. All that vomiting had taken its toll on me. He covered me with the sheets, but I grasped at his hand weakly.

"Wait."

Blue eyes widened in surprise, as did mine. I didn't even know what I was saying.

"Please stay."

Was I serious? I couldn't control the words seeping out of my mouth. I heard my inner giggle. Oh, shit.

"I'm cold. Please don't go."

"A… All right… Sakura-chan," he said uneasily. I grabbed hold of my mouth before my inner could take another swipe at my weakness. That is, until I saw Naruto taking off his shirt. My stomach quivered, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the smooth planes of Naruto's chest. It struck a cord in my mind, giving me a strange sense of déjà vu.

My face paled. I remembered blurry images of when I had been feverish, and Naruto had crawled into the bed to… hold me? Keep me warm? My cheeks reddened, and I saw cerulean eyes cloud with worry as a tan face with six whisker marks and messy blond hair leaned over me.

"Are you all right, Sakura-chan? Are you getting sick again?"

Thank god for Naruto's cluelessness! I shook my head vigorously, but he didn't look convinced. Still, he shrugged and parted the covers, scooting in next to me. I felt his warmth flood through the mattress and over the sheets, and I snuggled in, my raw and empty stomach feeling some relief. I yawned, closing my eyes as my mind drifted. I felt two strong arms wrap around me, and much to my chagrin, I let Naruto scoot closer. I couldn't summon the consciousness to object, though. I was too far gone already.

--

I woke to the distinct smell of carpet cleaner and bleach. The potent fumes assaulted my nose and stuck in my lungs. My stomach muscles clenched, throwing me into a sudden coughing fit.

"Naruto! What the hell?" I managed to choke out before my coughing finally subsided.

His face was worried, but his voice was subdued, as if he had done something wrong. "I was just cleaning my carpet. I cleaned the spot where you had vomited, and I realized just how dirty the rest of my carpet was, so I decided to clean it. I thought you'd like it better if it were clean."

I sighed shakily, letting out a stray cough from my recently—but not permanently—damaged lungs. I decided not to berate the poor guy for trying to be neat, especially if he were thinking about me. I wanted to know how I had even come to be here, and though I knew I was sick because of the blizzard, vomiting didn't normally fall into that category. Besides I was…

I… was in… _Naruto's clothes?!_

_Ahh!_ my inner screamed in frustration. _That PERV! He UNDRESSED ME! HOW DARE HE DO THAT! I'LL KILL HIM!_

_I agree,_ I seethed grimly. Oh, there would be hell to pay.

"Naruto."

My voice was dangerously low, and his eyes mirrored exactly what he was thinking. It was almost like he was saying it. _"Aww, shit! What the hell did I do _this_ time?"_

"Who undressed me?"

His frame visibly relaxed. He breathed out a sigh of relief, then glanced at my expectant face. "Well, since you want to know that, I'll just go ahead and start from the beginning."

His eyes swerved back to his carpet cleaning, as if he needed something to take his mind off of something embarrassing. "Tsunade-baa-chan told me that you were coming back from a mission, and that the blizzard was still getting worse. I volunteered to go look for you, since I didn't have a mission, and I can heighten my senses when I need to.

"I don't know how long you were lying in the snow, but I think it was about a good fifteen minutes to a half hour. You were almost buried completely, and if it hadn't been for your red jacket, I wouldn't have seen you. I brought you to my apartment because you were already going into shock. Hinata was giving me a message, but got Tsunade for me. I was there for when she thawed out your limbs—you were _really_ cold, Sakura-chan—but I left when Tsunade said she was going to… uh, yeah. So, I lent you some of my clothes.

"You had a fever the other day, and were out of it for about two days. Tsunade gave you some new medicine to try that's supposed to help ninjas get over fevers faster. But one of the side effects was vomiting, so…"

So, I was Tsunade-sama's _test subject_ now, huh? She'd hear about this when I got better…

_Well, I'm at least relieved to see that Naruto wasn't a perv and got to see anything before we allowed him. After all, he has to work for that,_ my inner smirked.

_Uh-huh,_ I agreed. _Wait, no! He doesn't have to work for anything because I'm not giving it to him! Did you see where his hands were touching me yesterday?_

_But you didn't seem to mind… really. I mean, don't you remember _this_ feeling?_

My inner suddenly thrust a memory at me, the one where Naruto's hand had graced my pelvis. The feeling in my stomach skyrocketed as an intense wave of desire crashed through my body. I glanced at Naruto, everything about him looking suddenly… I couldn't even find the words. He was handsome, very handsome at that, and I found the sudden urge to slip my fingers through his wild hair, and caress the three short whisker marks on each side of his face.

I pressed both of my hands to the side of my head and screamed. _Enough! I get it! I get it! Just stop it already!_

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked worriedly, his face suddenly inches from mine.

_Ack!_ I thought, before slamming my eyes shut and inching away from him slowly. The feeling that my inner had squeezed me under would not go away, and it didn't help any that Naruto lips were extremely close to mine. _I will _not_ give in!_

_Whatever, honey. You know you like him. I'm the one that voices your true feelings, right? So then why are you denying it?_

_I'm not denying it! I don't like Naruto, and that's plain and final!_

_Hmm,_ my inner waved absently, then fingered her chin. _Although, look at the way he's scrubbing the floor…_

My eyes flew open, but he was still inches from my face. I almost killed my inner right there and then, if it weren't for the fact that Naruto's stomach suddenly growled quite viciously. I grabbed at the excuse to get him away from me, especially since I could smell his scent mixed with sweat. My nose crinkled.

"Naruto, do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry, too."

He shrugged sheepishly, his grin nervous. I didn't realize how cute he looked. "Well, I only have ramen, Sakura-chan. I know you don't really like ramen."

"I'm so hungry I can eat anything at the moment!" I cried, my stomach rumbling as well. Naruto let out a laugh. "But," I warned, "you have to let me make it."

"Why?" he whined.

I leaned in and took a whiff of him, a part of me smiling and wanting to see if I could tease him with my proximity. As I leaned away, he leaned towards me, catching himself before he followed me too far. A blush spread across his face like wildfire, but I pretended not to notice and nodded.

"Mmhmm. I'm going to make the ramen. You need to take a shower. I think all this scrubbing has made you sweat."

His face heated even more, and I felt slightly sorry for him. He hurried to his bathroom and the water was running before I knew it. I smiled and stood from the bed, using the wall as support. My legs were still pretty weak, but I could manage. I glanced down at the clothes Naruto had chosen for me. I was wearing what seemed to be his smallest pair of boxers. They were black decorated with random orange swirls, and a faded orange t-shirt covered my top half. The shirt was too big, and was close to hanging off of one of my shoulders. I shrugged and put it into place before slowly walking to the kitchen.

There wasn't much to it, but it was… clean? I had never seen Naruto's apartment this clean, even though I had only been in here once. It was just before a mission, and Naruto had to grab something. I had helped him find it in a sea of messy papers, empty ramen bowls, and half-eaten bags of chips. Needless to say I was pissed at his sloppiness.

I shrugged. He seemed to be in a cleaning mood, and I wasn't about to argue. I had a clean kitchen to work with as I boiled a pot-full of water and gathered two chicken ramen cups. I wasn't in the mood to make two different kinds, so I stuff with one that seemed to be a favorite of his. The ramen was cooking, but there was no seasoning. I sifted through Naruto's cabinets, finding a packet of old ramen seasoning. I frowned as I sniffed its contents. Hmm, if I could just recreate the flavors…

I burrowed through the cabinets, grabbing a few things of seasoning here and there. He was out of a few of the flavors, so I improvised. I hoped he would like it, because I wanted to thank him for taking care of me. I didn't appreciate all he did for me, and this just showed how good a friend he was.

_A friend? Tch! Yeah right! You know you want him as more than a friend. I'm the real feelings, remember?_

_Ugh, don't remind me! Fine, I'll admit that I… want to be… maybe a _little_ more than friends…_ I couldn't believe I was actually saying that. I realized that I was at least attracted to Naruto, but I wasn't sure about anything yet. I had to be sure about how I felt and how he might respond.

"That smells really good, Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered.

My eyes locked with his, but I couldn't fathom the tightness in his eyes, nor the strange look that lurked behind it. I was a little indignant.

"Were you watching me this whole time?"

He nodded, embarrassed.

I smiled. "Well, I wanted to say thanks. So, come on over and get some ramen." I nodded my head towards the simmering pot. I paused. "Uh, I don't know where you keep your bowls."

Naruto gave me a large smile. "They're underneath, Sakura-chan! I'm surprised you could find all the seasonings, but not the bowls!"

I laughed at his enthusiasm as I finished stirring the noodles, and he took out the bowls from underneath the sink. He licked his lips when I ladled a good portion into one of the bowls for him, and a smaller portion for me. Naruto sat at his small table, hurriedly broke his chopsticks, and thrust them in the air.

"Itadakimasu!"

Though he had always said that before, and I had even joined him, I still laughed. He looked at me quizzically as he stuffed his face with the noodles, but his funny face kept me laughing. He smiled and started laughing, too.

After a good minute of laughter, Naruto spoke. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. All this cleaning's made me starving!"

"As if you don't get enough to eat already, baka," I chuckled playfully. He grinned again and continued eating, and I was finally able to pick politely at my meal. Politeness, however, was thrown out the window the moment I tasted the flavors in my mouth. I didn't know I could make ramen _this_ good! Unless it was just because I was hungry, I had to admit that this ramen was the best I had ever made.

Naruto seemed to have a similar look on his face. "Sakura-chan, this ramen is almost as good as Ichiraku's!"

"Thanks, Naruto!" I said around a bite of noodles. Naruto saw a few hanging out of my mouth, and tried to bite back a laugh, but it didn't work. I finished slurping the noodles and hit Naruto's arm playfully. It wasn't hard, and he smiled.

"Don't laugh at me, baka!"

"I've never seen you so messy, Sakura-chan!"

"Well, I'm hungry. What can I say?"

I glanced beside me to a small calendar that was ill-used. Suddenly, I smacked my forehead. "Christmas is the day after tomorrow?! Shit, I haven't even bought anything for my parents!"

Though my parents didn't expect me to buy them things because I was busy focusing on missions, they always bought something for me. I bought them small little trinkets that they had either been eyeing or would add to a current collection of theirs. I usually spent Christmas with them, even though I had been living on my own for almost a full year.

I looked at Naruto, and he had stopped eating. I cocked my head in confusion at the sad and pained look on his face. "Naruto? Are you all right?"

He seemed to break out of his reverie, and plastered on a smile. It was a real smile, but it didn't touch his eyes. "Ah, I'm fine, Sakura-chan! Don't worry about me! I just remembered that I had lost an Ichiraku ramen coupon."

My eyes narrowed. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth, and even if he were, I could tell that there was an ancient sadness in his beautiful blue eyes. Beautiful? Since when did I consider his ocean eyes _beautiful_? I took a moment to study his face. Yes, his eyes were beautiful. His blond hair was messy and a few long strands strayed over his eyes, but it made him look even more handsome. I wondered if the three whisker marks on his face were there when he was born, or if they were scars. His tan skin was unblemished, courtesy of Kyuubi's regenerative abilities.

That desire slowly spread through my limbs, and it wasn't because of my inner. She was quiet for the moment, leaving me to my thoughts. I scooted the chair back, eager to get out of Naruto's apartment. Something in me was changing, and I needed to think about it. I needed to be alone.

I quickly rinsed and cleaned my ramen bowl, then turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry, Naruto. My parents are probably worried, so I should go tell them I'm all right. See you later, Naruto."

"Wait!"

I was at the door, ready to open it when Naruto's simple request pulled me back. He hurried up to me, then grabbed his orange and black jacket off of the hook.

"Here," he said worriedly, pushing his jacket at me. "At least take my jacket. I think it's still snowing outside, and I don't want you to get a relapse."

_Idiot, idiot, idiot! I'm so stupid!_ I yelled at myself. My inner had no remark, and for that I was grateful. I glanced up at Naruto, his face lighted with concern. The strange pain had yet to leave his eyes, but it was hidden beneath his worry for me. Just how concerned was he for my well-being? Had I always been this blind to everything he had done and did for me?

I took the jacket silently, slipping my arms through the sleeves. It swallowed me whole! It was a good three sizes too big for me, but it was strangely warm. I zipped it up, but not all the way; the collar was unzipped and fanned out from my neck. I wiggled my toes and looked at them, unsure of what I should do. Naruto provided the next move.

His hands grasped around my waist, pulling me into the warmest hug I had ever experienced. It wasn't just the fact that he was warm; this hug was filled with something that I could feel. I could feel a strange care and concern flow through Naruto's limbs and into mine, and my heart rate spiked. I slowly wrapped my arms around his torso, hugging him back. I felt him stiffen in surprise, but after a few short seconds his arms tightened around me, and that feeling grew—if it were possible.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I pulled back, the caring aura still not leaving. "Um, bye," I whispered, hurrying out the door and into the snow-covered village. I felt the flakes sift onto my unprotected hair, and my eyes glanced at the calm, grey clouds. Snowflakes fell gently around me, and the skin on my legs alerted me to just how cold it was out here. I folded my arms across my chest and hunched into myself, hoping that by keeping my upper body warm, it would at least help my legs a little.

It seemed to work. His jacket was surprisingly warm, despite the medium weight fabric and its size. I hurried through the streets, stopping in front of my parent's house with a sigh of relief. My hand lifted hesitantly, then tapped gently on the door. Almost immediately, my mom opened the door.

"Hey, Mom," I grinned sheepishly. "So, uh, I guess it's already Christmas."

My mom nodded, but a smile crept onto her face as she opened the door farther. "Come on, sweetie. We've still got your own room. I'm glad you haven't forgotten us over the year of medical work."

Being able to please my parents with the slightest action was always a plus. Since I had moved out, all I had to do was remember their birthdays, or anniversary, or any holiday or special occasion, and it was enough for them. I moved through the halls and to my bedroom, Mom following my every move.

"Did Naruto take care of you?"

I stiffened. How did she know?

She chuckled. "Those are his clothes, Sakura. Besides, Tsunade-sama told me that you were sick and that it would be wise if he took care of you. He would be able to protect you to the best of his ability, and that was fine with me."

A breath I didn't know I had been holding slipped from my lips. Thankfully, my parents were one of the few that didn't mind Naruto. He wasn't one of their favorite ninja from my generation, but they were always polite to him, and I had never once heard them utter a word against the blonde. I was lucky that my mother even liked Naruto despite knowing that he was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki.

"Thanks, Mom," I sighed. "But, can I be alone for a while? I need to think."

A knowing smile crossed my mom's face, and her weight shifted from one leg to the other. "Of course, darling. Let me know when you want dinner."

I sighed heavily. This was going to be a long day.

--

It was six o'clock in the morning on Christmas day, and I was awake. It wasn't because I was excited about something my parents had gotten me. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get Naruto out of my head. I hadn't even gone out to buy my parents anything; I had stayed inside all day, contemplating why I felt this way every single time I thought of Naruto.

I fingered his black and orange jacket in my lap. I still had it, and I couldn't find the incentive to return it until I saw him again. A frown tilted the corners of my mouth, and I glanced away, my anger unfurling inside of me. The night I had gone home from Naruto's apartment, I couldn't sleep. I actually _missed_ the idiot's warmth. I didn't think I would miss it; I had had to sleep in his jacket and smell his musky scent just to fall asleep.

He had only been helping me while I was sick. Why _did_ I miss his warmth? I had been sick; it wasn't like I was actually conscious while sleeping next to him. I growled. I couldn't figure this out. I wanted to go see him—badly—but my pride refused to believe that I missed spending time with my idiotic teammate. Did I… Did I actually _like_ Naruto? Maybe even… love him?

My parents wouldn't be up yet. There was no noise from their bedroom, and I felt slight guilt and not buying them anything. Still, I felt even worse for avoiding people yesterday, especially Naruto. I couldn't get the sad look on his face when I had mentioned Christmas out of my mind. I wanted to get him something for Christmas, but what? I wanted the gift to be special. Everyone knew he liked ramen, and I wanted him to know and remember that that had been _my_ gift.

With a grunt, I stepped off my bed, pausing for a moment as I glanced at the clothes Naruto had let me wear. I quickly averted my longing gaze, bending down and grabbing my everyday kunoichi outfit. It wasn't quite right for the weather, but I slipped Naruto's jacket on over my sleeveless red top. I put on a thick pair of jounin pants—those would at least keep my legs warm. The ends were tucked into my tall fighting boots, and I placed my kunai holster on my right leg. My split, light pink skirt fell over the top portion of my pants, and I quickly adjusted my shurikan holster on my right hip.

Thankfully, even though one of the stairs creaked miserably when I stepped on it, my parents stayed asleep as I tiptoed into the kitchen. I wrote a note in my messy scrawl—saved for when I was in a hurry—and posted it on the fridge. With a troubled glance back, I exited the house and started off for Naruto's house.

_I guess it's true._

"Yes," I whispered, accidentally responding to my inner out loud.

_We really do like Naruto… don't we?_ When I gave no reply, she rushed on. _I was just joking, you know. I wanted to see what he would do if you asked him to stay. I was messing with your mind. But… I didn't _really_ think that it was true, nor did I think I would feel so guilty at the thought of seeing Naruto's hurt face._

"I know."

_I'm sorry._

I scoffed. _Well, it's too late for apologies. Still, don't apologize. I'm actually… glad that I realized I like Naruto. I mean, he's kind, considerate, compassionate—even if he can be a total idiot at times._ I laughed silently. _But he's… he's _my_ idiot._

_Our idiot. I like that. It sounds good,_ my inner smiled.

_Yeah, it does,_ I smiled back.

_You know, I never noticed all the things he did for us until you thought about it the other day._

_He really is nice. I can't believe we didn't see it before,_ I thought ruefully.

_Maybe we weren't looking. Remember how he used to say he loved us? Maybe we're not listening. Maybe we're not watching. He could be trying to say something with words or his actions, but we aren't paying attention. Maybe we should…_

Suddenly, I was standing in front of Naruto's apartment. I heaved a sigh, and gingerly knocked on the door. I doubted that Naruto would be up at the moment, but I wanted to give him something, and spending the day with him—making him things, taking him out—was the best thing I could come up with.

A grumble sounded from the other side of the door, and I felt my heart leap in its cage. I couldn't believe the amount of adrenaline pulsing through my veins; not even fear evoked me to be this frantic. I wrung my hands together, hoping that he wouldn't be offended by my intrusion.

I knocked again.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" came Naruto's tired, insistent call from behind the door. It opened in a flash. "What do you…! Sakura-chan?" His voice had gone down in pitch, and the look in his blue eyes was one of utter confusion.

"Uh… Merry Christmas, Naruto?" I tried, blushing at my lack of being straight to the point. It didn't help me at all to see Naruto without a shirt and in a simple pair of boxers, either. So, I tried again. "What I'm trying to say is that since it's Christmas, I brought you a present." All right, that wasn't much better, either.

"You brought me a… present?" He seemed simply awestruck by the idea. I nodded, and his face lightened considerably. His tired eyes were now bright, and he looked at me eagerly. "What'd you get me? What's my present?"

This was the hard part. I wasn't exactly sure how to say this. "Me," I blurted. My inner was just about having a fit of laughter at my incompetence, and my face suddenly colored furiously.

"Wait…! No… not like that! I mean… I meant… Oh, God," I groaned, slapping my hand to my forehead. My eyes surreptitiously glanced at him, and his face was almost as red as mine. It was clear that from my first statement that he had thought along the same lines as how it had slipped out of my mouth.

For the umpteenth time it seemed like, I tried again. "I meant that my Christmas present to you is me spending time with you." There, that was better. But the blush still wouldn't disappear. Neither would his, but he seemed happy. I felt better, now that I had made him happy.

"Really? My Christmas present is spending time with you?"

"Yes, baka! Didn't I just say that?" I was a little angry; I had just embarrassed myself to no end. Still, Naruto couldn't look happier. That _was_ one of the good things about Naruto. He never judged anyone until proven otherwise. Maybe I still had a chance.

"Come in, Sakura-chan. Ah… um…" He seemed to suddenly realize that he only had a pair of green and blue boxers on, and his face turned beet red. "Just let me get some clothes on, okay! Make yourself at home!"

I walked through the hall, taking note of the plain white walls that sported a few pictures. After a few yards, the hallway branched into the living room and kitchen combo. An old, brown couch sat against the back living room wall. The living room morphed into the kitchen, a small necessity with a stove, sink, microwave, and extended counter to "close off" the kitchen. A small round table and two chairs were off to the left, just before the doorway that led back into the hall and down a few meters to his bedroom. And, only because he had taken me there when I was sick, I knew that the bathroom was slightly further down the hall.

I sat on his couch, suddenly remembering the shirt and boxers of his that I held in my hand and had forgotten to mention. I was so out of sorts at the moment. Granted, it was almost six-thirty in the morning, but usually, once I was awake, I wasn't tired and couldn't fall back asleep. Today just had to be the exception.

_Naruto looked good in those shorts_, my inner commented. I had to agree. Though they were probably from when he was younger, he looked good.

The object of my thoughts hurried into the room, quickly zipping up a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt. It hung over his orange, three-quarter pants, the ends of the orange oddity unrolled and tucked into his black sandals. His hair fell over his face, the hair in front of his ears caressing his cheeks or blowing back. One of his bangs fell over part of a cerulean eye, and my heart clenched in my chest.

Quickly, I averted my eyes to anything else, and suddenly noticed his incredible lack of Christmas decorations. Did he not celebrate Christmas?

"Naruto," I started, "why don't you have any Christmas decorations?"

The moment the words slipped through my lips, I wished they hadn't. He stopped, his face falling into another one of those pained looks. Blue eyes faded, glancing at the floor in sadness. His shoulders shrugged apathetically.

"I don't have the money," he murmured. "Besides, no one wants to spend Christmas with me anyway."

A strangled gasp retched from my throat. Before I knew it, I was replying. "You never spent Christmas with anyone? Why? I… How…?" I was so angry I couldn't form coherent sentences. I wasn't angry at him, but I was angry at myself, at everyone else that had claimed to have the "heart of Christmas", and had never invited my selfless teammate.

Shoulders shrugged again. "I would occasionally spend dinner with the old man. With Sandaime Hokage, I mean."

"He wouldn't get you anything?" My voice was strained. Oh, God, how I wished I had paid more attention to Naruto!

"Well, he'd say that ramen was my treat, or he'd help me with my training. It wasn't much 'cause it was normally too cold to be outside…"

At least… at least our Sandaime had been kind enough to do something for Naruto. "Those were presents, Naruto," I whispered. "All those times… they were the Sandaime's presents to you."

A wide grin split Naruto's face, but I only managed a grimace. I hadn't ever gotten him anything, either. I wasn't any better than the damn villagers, but I wasn't trying to be. I just wished I had noticed him sooner. My jade eyes peered up to meet excited blue orbs, and he suddenly bent down in front of me.

"Sakura-chan? Can you make the cup ramen with your flavoring again?"

I laughed and nodded, even though I silently thought that he really needed to eat something other than all those calories. Naruto gave a whoop of joy as I stepped into the kitchen, quickly boiling water and trying to remember which spices I used the last time I had cooked ramen.

We sat and talked for a good few hours about nothing in particular. It was nice and easy—nothing was awkward. I was glad for that because Naruto was one of my good friends, and I wanted to stay that way, even though I felt more for him now. I didn't want anything to be awkward of difficult between us; I wanted it to flow like our normal relationship. Hell, it wouldn't matter if he were my boyfriend—I'd still hit him and argue with him if he did something stupid.

Suddenly, Naruto grabbed my hand and pulled me out of his apartment door. He had apparently heard something that I hadn't, and we ran out into the cold after he made sure to lock his door. He dragged me along until we reached Training Ground 7. Its landscape had changed since the last time I had seen it, and it wasn't just because of the snow. Snow banks rose on either side of the ground, and I could see a few shapes behind a makeshift fort.

_Thwack!_

I stopped dead in my tracks. The snow, once hitting my warm clothes and skin, became slush and slipped down my backs, causing shivers to trickle up and down my spine. The hair on my back stiffened as my anger spiked. Whoever had thrown that snowball was dead.

Completely. Dead.

"Shit!"

A lethal smile parted my lips. So it had been Kiba, huh? I whirled, my arm raised in the air. I pumped chakra into my fist, readying it to slam into the ground when a yellow blur swept in front of me. The chakra immediately left my fist, but the trajectory couldn't be stopped. My fist connected with Naruto's chest, and he fell to the snow with a loud thump.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned.

I hurriedly knelt beside him, hands glowing green as they skimmed over his chest to look for any damage. "I'm sorry, Naruto!"

"Sakura," Naruto mumbled, his voice lowering in pitch as if speaking to a little child. It grated on my nerves until I heard the rest of the sentence. "You're _supposed_ to fight with snowballs. You throw them at people, and whichever team is still standing wins. That's why it's called a snowball fight, Sakura-chan."

Well I was thoroughly embarrassed. I felt the pink tint color my cheeks, and I felt utterly stupid. "Oh," was all I could manage. I helped him off of the snow, failing to realize that other shinobi from my generation were watching me help Naruto flick the snow off of his clothes.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Hey, guys! Mind if we join?"

Kiba hesitantly stood, afraid that I might hurt him. Unfortunately, my anger had passed in the bout of overwhelming embarrassment. Even Neji seemed to know what a snowball fight was. Tenten stepped forward, catching my eye as she twirled a kunai on her finger.

"Sure," she trilled, then put a hand to her chin as her right hand continued to be the orbit for her kunai. "Well, it's even at the moment, but we might have trouble deciding who gets who."

"Come on, Tenten! It's not that hard! I picked last, so you get to go first," Kiba laughed. "Besides, it doesn't matter who you pick, my team will still cream yours."

Neji's eyebrows rose. I took the time to quickly glance at just who was on Tenten's team. There was Neji, of course, and Shikamaru, and Chouji. Shino was nowhere to be seen. I guessed that a snowball fight wasn't stoic enough for him. I took a quick glance at Kiba's team. His team consisted of him, Hinata, Lee, and Ino.

Tenten let a small smile grow on her face. She grabbed the kunai flawlessly, and threw it in between the two groups. I realized that it marked the middle of the fighting ground.

"All right," Tenten smirked. "I pick… Sakura."

Needless to say, I was surprised. I thought for sure that she would have picked Naruto. I smiled and walked over next to her, disregarding Kiba's enthusiastic yell at the luck of attaining Naruto. We hurried over to our respective sides, hiding behind the bank that had already been made.

The first snowball started it all. I wasn't sure who threw it, but it grazed the side of my head. I squealed, hurrying to pack another snowball and chuck it across the dead zone. I was having too much fun to pay attention to whose team was winning. I ducked quickly as another snowball whizzed overhead. Good thing Kankuro wasn't here, or else we'd be in trouble.

I gasped. Kankuro used chakra threads…

"Neji! Tenten! Shikamaru! Chouji!" I whispered fiercely. They turned to look, flinching when a stray snowball struck the bank. "I don't know if this will work, but try putting some of your chakra into the snowballs! We might be able to hit them harder, and make sure the snowballs hit."

All of them nodded quickly, returning to pack more snowballs. I inserted some of my chakra into the snowball, hoping that it would stay true to its trajectory. I reared my fist back, sending the snowball flying towards Kiba.

_Slam!_

"Ah! Aw… shit…" Kiba groaned as my snowball connected with his chest.

"Yes!" I yelled. My chakra had managed to stay frozen in the ball of snow, and was released as a semi-hard blow to his chest. Suddenly, an idea sifted into my mind. I packed four other snowballs.

"Guys! Take these and chuck them at the others! Wait till I tell you to!" I laughed to myself, finding it funny that I was the one giving instructions to the others when Tenten was the team captain. This was definitely more fun than I realized, and I could just barely see their heads. Now was the time to strike.

"Haa!" My cry grew louder as my fist jerked back, my chakra glowing green around my hand as I thrust into the snow. A mini earthquake shook Training Ground 7, and the four other ninja swayed as they tried to get their balance. I smirked, my body still bent, my fist still near the snow. Neji, Tenten, Chouji, and Shikamaru threw they're snowballs, but only three hit. Naruto managed to dodge Shikamaru's snowball, but then, Shikamaru had lazily thrown his snowball and probably didn't put any of his chakra into it.

Suddenly, a snowball crashed right into my chest, and I gasped. Damn, that hurt! I glanced over quickly, noticing Naruto quickly ducking behind cover. I growled, the sound vibrating tightly against my cords. Naruto was in deep trouble.

"Naruto!" I shouted, preparing three snowballs and infusing the first with my deadly chakra. I threw it as hard as I could muster, but my anger caused it to head to an already-down Kiba. The dog-obsessed ninja grunted in pain as the snowball hit his leg, and I winced slightly. With the amount of chakra I had pumped into that first one, Kiba would have a nice big bruise in at least an hour.

I chucked two more snowballs at Naruto, but neither of them hit. I growled as two arms suddenly wrapped around my waist, twirling me around. Naruto was doing this on purpose.

"Damn it, Naruto! Set me down!" I screamed. In a flash of intuition, I pumped chakra to my left foot before slamming it down to earth the split second I touched it, a small fissure ready to swallow me and Naruto. Naruto cried out in surprise, but his response had the complete opposite effect of what I hoped for. His arms tightened around me, and he hugged me to his chest as he leapt away from the broken earth.

Finally, Naruto set me down, and I grabbed some snow, smearing his face in the powdery material. He let out a surprised but playful laugh, turning and grabbing my hands before slamming me to the ground. He shook his head, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling good-naturedly. A sly grin split his face.

"Sakura-chan, you should know that I don't like snow in my face. It's cold, and unless you want me to do it to you, I wouldn't do it again if I were you."

I growled, and his grin widened.

"Yo, guys!" Kiba called. "You can do that sort of thing some other time. You're in public!"

I gasped at the position I realized that we were in. Both of Naruto's hands were clasped just below my elbows that were extended above my head. I was on my back, and Naruto's knees—which happened to be embarrassingly straddling my hips—were supporting most of his weight. My face blushed crimson, as did his.

My head tilted towards Tenten, and I winked, just so she thought that I had actually planned this. Not exactly. Naruto could tell I was channeling chakra, but he didn't know where. I lifted my head up and slammed into his forehead, but I wasn't prepared for the pain that assaulted my head. Naruto cried out in shock. His hands came off of my wrists to hold his head, and I used my fists to effortlessly push him away from me. Well, not entirely effortless.

Hinata, Kiba, Lee, and Ino were all standing at the moment, but they all had quite a few injuries. They were minor bruises, but such is the result of a ninja snowball fight. There was no such thing as too much or going easy. I helped Naruto stand, and we were both out of breath, and it wasn't just because I had head-butted him.

"Kiba," I panted, hunched over slightly in an attempt to grasp at air. "We won. Our team beat yours." A weary but triumphant smile split my features. "Didn't matter that you did have Naruto, huh? We still beat you…"

The dog ninja huffed slightly, but the rest of his team admitted defeat. Everyone soon left the training ground, muttering curses about their current bruises or talking animatedly about what they would do for the rest of Christmas day. I turned to Naruto. After all, he was the one getting a good deal. I didn't quite want to go everywhere that he went, but maybe today would be an exception.

It took a few minutes for me to catch my breath, and Naruto nodded in the direction of the village. Walking seemed to help calm our gasping. We were passing by shops, going nowhere in particular, when Naruto suddenly darted inside of one. He reappeared a second later, holding up one finger while his eyes were alight with one of the most bright expressions I had ever seen him wear.

"Wait here, Sakura-chan!"

"Okay." My answer was slightly skeptical, but I waited nonetheless. I took the time to survey the surrounding village. It was a very nice village. It was well put together with not a square foot of land wasted. I could mainly see the Hokage tower at the opposite end of the building, and I wondered what Tsunade-sama was up to. She was probably taking her sake break at the moment—I hadn't known the amount of papers she'd had to sign until I had volunteered to help.

Finally, Naruto ran out of the store, stopping in front of me with a ridiculous grin plastered on his face. All right, something was up.

"What's up?"

"Nothing, Sakura-chan," he voiced happily while moving towards his apartment. I fell into step with him like I normally did.

"You seem happier." Well, it wasn't exactly an understatement, but I wanted to know.

"Why wouldn't I be happy? You finally agreed to spend time with me!" He paused, glancing up at the blue sky for a moment. Then, he continued in a softer voice. "Even if that's all I get for Christmas, it'll be enough."

I almost didn't hear him. Had he really just said that? My shoulders lifted and fell as I shrugged. I'd put if off till later.

We arrived at Naruto's apartment shortly after. His suede couch was comfortable, and I quickly sat Indian style on one of the cushions. It was my favorite way to sit. Naruto came back with two cups filled with steaming broth and softening ramen noodles. Strangely enough, I didn't mind too much that I had mostly been eating ramen recently.

As we finished our ramen, though, I noticed Naruto's face fall just a little bit. I cocked my head and looked at him. "Naruto?"

He gave a sad, half laugh. "This is all a dream, isn't it? I'm going to stop my daydreaming, and you won't be here anymore, right? I'll wake up any minute, and then I'll get yelled at for not doing my mission properly."

Now I was thoroughly confused. "Naruto," I chided, "what are you talking about? What do you mean 'mission'?"

A shrug was his only movement. "I would do yard work or whatever on Christmas Day. Or I would help the old man with his papers, you know? Anything to keep me from really thinking about Christmas."

"You… No one invited you for Christmas? No one?" I managed. I couldn't believe what Naruto was saying. These villagers were despicable, but then again, I wasn't much different. I had never invited Naruto over to spend time with me. I had never noticed how sensitive he was, nor did I really ever see the side of him that was hurt. I always saw his resolve to do anything in his power—and beyond even—to keep his promises, and I had often told him just how ridiculous they were.

But they weren't.

"Iruka sometimes invited me…" Naruto started. "But I… I guess I just didn't want to go. I never knew why he did. I mean, I was the drop-out in the Academy."

"Naruto, that's not the only thing that has you upset. I can tell. I know you better than you think." I was bluffing, but he didn't need to know that.

Seems I hit the nail on the head, though. Naruto turned away, his eyes ashamed.

"I didn't keep my promise to you. I told Sasuke—" Naruto's fists clenched minutely— "that we wouldn't do this anymore, that I would stop looking for him. I wanted to keep going, but…"

He stopped when he felt my finger on his lips. My empty ramen bowl was off to the side of the couch and on the ground to make sure I didn't tip it. At the moment, I was closer to Naruto than I remembered being. How did I get in front of him so fast? I stared into his fathomless eyes, my own jade ones mirroring a myriad of emotions. I wasn't sure what to feel, but I knew what to say. As I said them, I realized just how true they were.

"Don't, Naruto. I'm glad you broke that promise. Looking for him was taking its toll on the both of us, and I wouldn't have been able to go on. Besides, I hated myself every single time you almost killed yourself over that stupid promise. I was about to tell Sasuke that we would stop looking for him, but you got to it first."

"Pinch me."

"What?"

"Pinch me," Naruto insisted. I gave him a quizzical look, then slowly reached down and pinched his skin. My heart pounded as I realized how smooth it was.

Naruto shook his head. "That wasn't hard enough. Really pinch me."

"Uh… um… Okay…" I pinched him harder. He flinched. I apologized profusely. He held his hands up for me to stop.

"So I'm not sleeping?" It was more a statement, not exactly a question, but I still shook my head in response.

"Why?"

"Because I've only ever hoped you would say that. I never thought you actually would. And spending time with me, too. That would never happen, either. I must be awake, dreaming that I'm asleep, but wondering if I'm dreaming…"

For once, I didn't follow that logic, and I didn't want to. I turned his head towards me, the hand I used cupping around his cheek. I had no notion of what I was doing, but I wanted to do it. I leaned in slowly, gently pressing my lips to his. As soon as I felt him stiffen, I pulled back, his reaction alerting me to what I had just done. My face blushed ten shades of red.

"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. "I didn't mean—" I was cut off when Naruto leaned in after me, catching my lips in a rare gesture of boldness. It caught me off guard, and I didn't move for a moment. The hands holding my face were fiery hot, as if he had just dipped them in magma. His lips rested against mine, foreign but familiar at the same time. My hands rested in my lap, useless—until I felt a strange boldness creep through my system.

When it came to smarts, I was confident. I knew that my information was usually from a reliable source, and I had the wonderful ability to remember most things after I only heard them once. Boys were another matter. I definitely wasn't sure of myself when around the freaky species, not to mention the fact that they found it fun to tease me about my slightly large forehead. When it came to boys, I was shy, and definitely not confident or bold. But for some strange reason, I didn't feel that way around Naruto.

My hands slowly skimmed up his arms to rest on his shoulders before one latched onto a tuft of hair behind his ear, and the other cupped his cheek. His hands weren't still, either. Although one did stay on my cheek—more of my neck, actually—the other sifted through my hair, his fingertips gently rubbing circles on my scalp. I shivered. I never knew I liked that.

I leaned into him, using my hand in his hair to pull myself closer. The hand in my hair pulled back to take a strand of pink to twirl around its finger. What was he doing to me?! _I_ didn't even know that I liked that, and this was my first-ever kiss—with Naruto especially—and he already knew something I didn't!

Slightly frustrated, I quickly thought of something that might do the same for Naruto. I took my thumb on his cheek and began to softly stroke his whisker marks. I felt him shiver underneath my touch. Unfortunately, my action elicited a different response from him than I had wanted. His hands slid from my neck and hair to clasp around my waist and pull me even closer to him. I had a very embarrassing and rare moment of clumsiness as I tried to fix my legs, but Naruto didn't seem to mind. My eyes flew open when something wet gently touched the length of my bottom lip.

Pulling back before we could go any farther, I dazedly stared into Naruto's bright blue eyes. His were glazed too, but underneath the surprise I could see something else, something that I never thought I would like from him. I had seen the expression in many men's faces when they had looked at Ino or Hinata, or even me when I was having a good day. My ardor increased as I looked into his eyes.

"Sakura-chan! I'm sorry!" he suddenly blurted. The lust behind the haze dimmed from his eyes. He shut them and winced, prepared for my fists, but I simply stared at him. My mind couldn't form a coherent sentence, or even a coherent thought. I felt relief—though it was short lived—that my inner was just as dazed as I.

_Oh… Let's… Let's do that again…_ she mumbled breathlessly. I shook my head, and his shining orbs were open now. My mouth opened and closed embarrassingly, until I finally forced something out of my mouth. Too bad it wasn't an intelligent word.

"Uh…"

"Honestly, Sakura-chan! I'm sorry! You were there, and I—" He stopped speaking, even though his voice was lower. There was such insistence and truth in his voice that I couldn't deny it. It didn't help that my thoughts were exactly along the same lines as my inner. I wanted to kiss him again.

My head finally cleared enough to realize that Naruto was talking to himself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm dreaming! Yeah… Of course I'm dreaming…! Sakura-chan would never do that with me… Right? Oh, God, I can't believe I did that! She'll… She'll kill me! Ah, now I've lost my chance!" he was mumbling hoarsely.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, not meaning to catch his attention, but I did anyway. A very cute, but sheepish look adorned his face, and his sparkling eyes never seemed to lose their fervor for conveying constant—and silent—apologies. My heart still hadn't stopped pounding—especially since the butterflies in my stomach kept sending the fluttery feeling to my thumping organ.

"It's okay, Naruto," I managed to sigh.

The look on his face was priceless. I had never seen him look so happy, but then as his eyes flicked down, his cheeks reddened. So, being the curious kunoichi I was, I followed his gaze, only for my cheeks to tinge as well. I was in between his legs sitting back on my knees, and his legs were spread just so that I'd fit. My inner giggled sadistically, and I growled—at the same time that Naruto had.

We gave each other questioning looks.

"Kyuubi," he muttered.

"My inner self," I responded at the same time. We both nodded. It wasn't new news to him about my inner self, and it wasn't new news to me about the Kyuubi. I had found out about the demon when Naruto had fought against Orochimaru. Naruto had further explained about a year ago, when I confessed to him about having two "minds." He laughed, finally being able to put together what Ino had said at the chuunin exams, and why I sometimes acted so strangely. Or talked to myself.

"_Stop it! Stop saying she's got a nice ass! I _know_ that!"_

"Did you just say something?" My head whipped around to face Naruto. I knew he had said that—more like whispered and groaned at the same time.

"N-n-nothing, S-s-sakura-ch-chan!" he stuttered, his face revealing how utterly embarrassed he was.

"But I know you said something. Come on, you can say it in front of me."

He shook his head vigorously, but I still smiled. I knew I was mean; I wouldn't be me if I weren't mean. But at the moment, what he had said felt like a damn good compliment to me. Men had only told me that to get on my good side. I knew Naruto wasn't like that. Still, it brought up the fact that I wasn't very well endowed up top. I didn't want to be as large as Tsunade-sama—that was a little too scary—but I at least wanted to be like Ino.

"Well," Naruto started, and I felt my inner smile maliciously.

"Go on."

"I… uh… I said that… um… you… you have…"

Was he really going to say it? Oh, God, I didn't want him to say it out loud! I didn't think he would actually do it! I was only having some fun… I quickly put my finger to his lips to silence him.

"Nn!"

My face softened. "I know what you said, Naruto. I appreciate the compliment. I wouldn't have wanted to hear it from anyone but you."

"R-really?" His face was shocked. I nodded.

"Yes, Naruto. I mean it. I'm sorry that I avoided you yesterday. I… I was trying to figure out that I… I mean, I…" Why couldn't I say the damn words?! "That I like you!"

I hadn't meant to blurt the words, but it still shocked us both. Naruto's face was even more stunned than mine, and I couldn't help the blush of embarrassment that colored my face. Suddenly, Naruto's hands were at my neck, and he pulled me in for a kiss. It only took a moment for me to kiss back.

"You… You like me, Sakura-chan?" His voice rang with incredulity.

"Yeah," I mumbled. His arms closed around me in a hug, and I slowly put my arms around him. It was very much like the hug he had given me before, but filled with so much love that I could definitely feel it. My mom and dad had given me a hug the night I had come home from Naruto's apartment, but it wasn't the same kind of hug. There hadn't been as much warmth in it.

Suddenly, Naruto pulled back. "I forgot. Sakura-chan, turn around, and close your eyes."

"What?" I stared at him blankly before eyeing him suspiciously, and pivoting on the couch. I shut my eyes just before I felt something fall on my chest. It wasn't heavy, but it felt like a… necklace?

"Open your eyes, Sakura-chan." His breath blew onto my neck, and shivers raced down my spine as my adrenaline and heart rate spiked. He _had_ to stop doing that to me. I didn't even know what would happen!

I glanced down at my neck, a gasp involuntarily ripping from my now-open lips. "How…?" I asked. Naruto shrugged, and I glanced back down at the necklace. There were two cherries side by side with three leaves surrounding them. The pendant was small, but I could still see the finely etched detail. It was highlighted in gold with an intricate, looped chain holding it around my neck.

"It's beautiful," I murmured as I wiped the sudden tears from my eyes. I briefly wondered how much this had cost him, but I pushed the thought away. It didn't matter if this had cost one dollar, or a thousand. The thought of getting something so beautiful for me tugged a cord, and I couldn't help but cry. He seemed to notice, too.

"Sakura-chan," he said softly, turning me towards him. "You don't have to cry. I got it for you because a beautiful girl like you deserves it."

Oh, well there went my resolve to stop crying! More tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, and I threw my arms around Naruto's neck. "I love it, Naruto," I whispered, throwing as much feeling into the thanks as possible. "I love it. Thank you so much."

"Sure, Sakura-chan." He pushed me back, putting both of his calloused thumbs underneath my green eyes to wipe the tears from the soft flesh. "Can I… Can I kiss you again, Sakura?"

I was surprised that he had left out the "chan" at the end of my name, but I blushed and answered him.

"No." God, I sounded miserable! Damn my tears! I sniffed. "I'd prefer it if you just kissed me. Asking kind of defeats the purpose." Well, at least I was totally serious this time. Now if only I could get rid of the reputation as the village's easiest crier…

A crazy grin suddenly plastered itself on Naruto's face, and he leaned in to press his lips to mine. I smiled as my hands stroked through his wild blond hair, and I felt shivers tingle through my limbs as his hands sifted through my strawberry hair. I opened my mouth to get a quick breath of air, but was surprised when I felt Naruto tongue gently venture into it. A shudder of desire spread like wildfire through my body, and I tugged on Naruto's hair, pulling his closer to me. His arms lowered to tighten around my waist, as if I couldn't be near enough to him.

We separated after what seemed like an hour, and we were both panting for air. I pulled a little farther back, afraid of what might happen next.

"Wait," I pleaded. "We're going way too fast."

Naruto had a similar look on his face. I knew he had waited for me for a long time, but there was nothing like things escalating past normal. "I agree."

I nodded, still panting, before another thought poked into my head. "Naruto, when I was making ramen for you, you had this really weird expression on your face…"

Naruto gingerly scratched his face with a lone finger. "Well… uh… It was nice having someone else in the house. I… wasn't alone anymore. I kept thinking it had to be a dream, that you wouldn't be here anymore. Then, you were making me things… No one's ever done that before for me. And… I…" his face flushed, and he looked at me with sheepish eyes. "I though you uh… I thought you looked really cute in my clothes."

I laughed. So that was it! Well, his clothes actually were very comfortable. "Well, thank you." My face suddenly became serious. If possible, I wanted to try and be there for him when no one else had. I knew that Iruka-sensei and the Sandaime had been there for Naruto, it wasn't the same.

"I promise," I said, my hand reaching to cup his cheek. "I promise that if you want me to make you breakfast, or ramen, or dinner, or whatever, I'll try my best to be here for you. Deal?"

The largest smile I had seen yet brightened Naruto's face. "Deal," he laughed, then leaned forward to capture my lips in a kiss to seal our agreement.

**A/N:** So, how'd I do this time? I hope Sakura wasn't too whiny while she was talking, it's just that you sometimes think of weird things in random situations! I appreciate all the reviews and favorites for my other Naruto stories, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy them.

**If anyone is interested in reading some of my upcoming stories, go to my profile to see what there is. If you have a certain one that you would like to read first, send me a message or review this story or reply to my question via a review. Since I'm in the midst of writing 4 novel-length stories (one's on hiatus), let me know which one you would rather me spend the most time on writing. If any of you guys answer, I'll keep the amount of requests and write from there!**


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